Risk Focus: Moorings

UK P&I CLUB

UK P&I CLUBIS MANAGEDBY THOMASMILLER

With its team of risk assessors, the UK Clubis in a unique position to gather data and targetareas of risk onboard ship

In this article on mooring - the first of a series on current risk topics - we follow up on the Club’srecent analysis of its mooring incidents. A twelve month exercise by the Club’s in-houseinspectors has produced important supplementary findings.

Summary of findings● Equipment used during mooring was generally found

to be in good condition.

BUT

● A significant number of vessels did not haveadequate procedures or arrangements in place.

● Crew used during mooring were often notadequately trained or correctly supervised.

● Mooring ropes are frequently stored on drum ends.

● Layers of paint are often applied to drum endsinstead of them being painted with a syntheticcoating or resin.

● A large number of vessels do not have non-slipmooring decks.

IntroductionFollowing the LP News article ‘Understanding MooringIncidents’ (see Appendix A), the UK Club embarked ona focused inspection. Whilst onboard, the Club’sinspectors spent a considerable amount of time lookingat each vessel’s mooring arrangement, equipment andprocedures to directly investigate current mooringissues. This was a large undertaking, and during thepast twelve months 373 ships have been inspected. Allof this data was recorded and has been analysed.

The aim of this exercise was not only to gauge thestandard of mooring arrangements and proceduresonboard but also to highlight areas whereimprovements could be made, as well as areas thatwere doing well.

Winches, ropes and equipmentOne of the major findings of the exercise was that mostof the equipment used in mooring operations was foundto be in good condition. Some of the inspectors notedthat, despite the overall good condition of the mooringwinches, it was sometimes difficult to grease theequipment correctly. It is important that all greasingpoints are free, working correctly and have not been

Good condition of equipment - butworrying practices and procedures

Ineffective grease point

painted over. To ensure that each point of theequipment is greased it may be beneficial to highlight ornumber each point and record the information in a plan.

Condition of aft mooring winch

Satisfactory 6%

Good29%

Belowstandard

1%

Excellent64%

Condition of forward mooring winch

Satisfactory 7%

Good30%

Belowstandard

1%

Excellent62%

Build up of paint on the drum end

A further statistic showed that 94% of vessels hadpainted the drum ends. One hazard of over-painting isthat the build up of paint on drum ends can cause ropedamage. It is suggested that, if possible, drum endsshould be smooth and coated with a thin layer of boiledlinseed oil or other approved synthetic liquid forprotection.

Of all the vessels inspected 51% carried out braketests annually (26% did not, and for 23% it was notapplicable). It was felt that although this is mainly atanker requirement, it should be done on more ships,where possible, to improve the overall safety of theship during high-risk mooring operations.

Inspectors noted that a large number of vessels keptmoorings on the drum ends instead of making themfast; this was supported by the statistics which areshown above. It is not good practice to store mooringropes on drum ends and this should be avoided. Ropesmade fast on drum ends are more likely to jump andcause expensive damage to the drum end bearings orcause delays/problems should more ropes need to bedeployed.

The graphs, on the previous page show the standardsof winches inspected to be very high.

Despite the good overall winch condition, inspectorscommented that on a number of vessels the split drumswere not set-up correctly. The first picture belowshows the correct way to set up a split drum, havingonly around 4 or 5 turns on the smaller drum and theremainder of the rope on the larger drum.

Percentage of ships keeping moorings on drum ends

No 65%

Yes 23%

Not applicable12%

During the course of the exercise it was apparent thatthe majority of ropes used, were in good condition, thecollection of graphs below show the overall standard ofropes, wires and links to be good.

Reassuringly, over 250 of the vessels inspected did notuse spliced ropes. Where ropes are in poor or damagedcondition, they should be replaced with spares.

It is important that all ropes, wires and Tonsberg linksused for mooring have a certificate. It is consideredgood practice for these certificates to be clearlylabelled and kept in an easily accessible file ready forinspection by Port Authorities. Spare mooring ropes,

Correctly set up split drum

Incorrectly set up split drum with buried mooring line

wires and links should not be over stowed with paint,chemicals, or any other shipboard or general cleaningitems. Spare mooring equipment should be stowedclear of the deck, preferably on a pallet and in a dryventilated position. If mooring ropes and wires arestowed on deck during sea passages they should notbe exposed to sunlight, sea spray or funnel soot. It issuggested that canvas or heavy duty polyethylenecovers will prolong the life of the ropes/wires.

Decks, bitts and shipIn recent years it has become more and more apparenthow beneficial it can be to have a fully non-slipmooring deck with clearly marked snap-back zones,this was highlighted in ‘Understanding MooringIncidents’. The following list shows the proportion ofvessels with varying degrees of non-slip deck.

● Non-slip overall, 32%

● None, 32%

● Just in way of bitts, 25%

● Around the drum-ends, 11%

Despite 32% of ships having fully non-slip decks anequal amount had none at all. It is a fact that mixingsand, or an approved non-slip aggregate, into the paintprior to application can be a very effective measure inhelping to reduce mooring accidents. The graph belowshows that very few vessels had painted snap-backzones on deck.

A significant amount of accidents could be reduced bymarking these zones on deck, many accidents occurbecause someone is standing in the wrong place at thewrong time.

Ropes badly stored on wet deck

Yes 97% Yes 99%

No3%

No1%

Do all ropes havecertificates?

Are spare ropes/links/wires available?

Condition of ropes/links and wires

0

10

20

30

40

50

Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

Below standard

Very poor

Per

cent

age

of s

hips

ins

pect

ed

Does vessel have snap-back zones marked?

No 94%

Yes 6%

The bitts, rollers and fairleads were generally found tobe in good order. 99% of bitts inspected were in goodcondition with 96% of fairleads and rollers found to befree moving and regularly greased. A well maintainedmooring area is essential if a vessel is to operate safely,it is important to ensure that all rollers and fairleads arefree moving, decks and bitts are well maintained andthat the area is kept free from clutter.

Practices and proceduresA number of key points that arose from the exerciserelated to the practices and procedures onboard, oneof the most notable being that the mooringarrangement on 14% of the vessels inspected was “notsatisfactory”. This statistic coupled to the fact that 7%of ISM mooring procedures were not found to beacceptable, shows that a significant portion of those

Clearly marked snap-back zone

Are bitts in goodcondition?

Are rollers/fairleadsfree/greased regularly?

Yes 99% Yes 96%

No1%

No4%

The set of graphs below demonstrates the numbers of people used in mooring operations forward and aft as well aswho is in charge of the operation.

How many crew are used in mooring fwd? Who is in charge of mooring fwd?

How many crew are used in mooring aft? Who is in charge of mooring aft?

4 crew 67%

5 crew 27%

8 crew 4%

7 crew 1%2 crew 1%

3 crew 10%

4 crew 57%

5 crew 19%

6 crew 3%

7 crew 1%2 crew 2%

3 crew 18%

Chief officer65%

Second officer21%

Third officer12%

Cadet 1% Other 1%

Chief officer 19%

Second officer76%

Third officer 2%Bosun 2% Other 1%

Are non-deck crew used?

No 68%

Yes 32%

inspected have some way to go if they are to ensurethat mooring procedures are of an appropriatestandard.

The Club has seen a growing number of incidentsoccur when non-deck crew are used during mooringoperations. All crew should be trained and be familiarwith bights, snap-back zones and the hazardsassociated with mooring operations.

It is important to have sufficient personnel to be able tomoor the vessel safely and effectively. The mostcommon number for both forward and aft was 4 peoplewith numbers ranging from as low as 2 (2% aft, 1%forward) and as high as 7 (1% forward and aft).

Other key factors raised in this section were that 15%of ships used mixed moorings and that 9% of vesselsdid not use the correct stoppers, both of these pointscontribute to mooring accidents and should be rectifiedonboard, it is vital that the correct stoppers are usedwith the appropriate mooring ropes/wires. Stoppersshould not be left around the mooring ropes once theyhave been made fast to the bitts.

IncidentsWithin the last 24 months only 4% of ships hadreported a near miss relating to mooring operations.The comments below detail some of the informationgiven to ship inspectors regarding near-miss.

“Several reported and dealt with at safety meetings”

“Yes - rope snapped back (spring line)”

No 97%

Yes 3%

The chart below shows the amount of ships that had amooring incident onboard during the last 24 months andthe associated comments

“Tug pushing in wrong direction”

“Injury to mechanic. Hand and wrist injured,necessitated trip to hospital but no repatriation- light work for 7 days”

“One man died in a mooring incident in the SuezCanal in 2008 under command of this captain.Rope was detached from the mooring drum anddragged the fitter by the leg, severing the leg,he died of his injuries”

“Shifting ship, insufficient men on forwardstations and Bosun lost the top of his fingerduring tug operations.”

“Spring line snapped back, no injuries”

“Men standing in rope bight”

“Crew standing in bight of rope, guidance given”

“Two lines parted in Amsterdam”

“Yes - cadet was nearly injured - chief mate told him tostand clear of tug line. Line parted but no injuries”

SummaryFrom the above report it can be seen that whilst manyareas of the mooring operation are to be commended,many are still inadequate in one way or another. Thekey points raised are predominantly related toprocedures and practices, the use of insufficientlytrained crew is still a significant issue.

The basic mooring arrangement and ISM mooringprocedure were not acceptable on a significant numberof inspected vessels. It is vital that time is taken toensure that procedures are not only acceptable butthat they are followed by the crew. A number of familiarfactors reoccur in mooring incidents, they are listedbelow.

● Seafarers stand in bights or snap-back zones, whenropes part those involved are often injured.

● Crew with insufficient training are used duringmooring operations, it is often these people who areseriously injured if something goes wrong.

● The person supervising mooring is also involved withoperation and is unable to carry out his roleeffectively.

The survey indicated that the standard of generalequipment was relatively high, although it wasdisappointing to note that 3% of vessels did not havecertificates for mooring ropes, wires or Tonsberg links.This may cause problems during any litigation.

To reduce the risk of an accident the vessel andequipment must be maintained to a high standard, allpersonnel should be adequately trained with thecorrect PPE, the correct procedures should be inplace, work permits issued and all mooring operationsshould be supervised by a competent person. Trainingin mooring operations should be incorporated into thevessels regular training schedule and include allpersonnel who are to be involved.

Opposite is a copy of the LP Newsarticle Understanding mooringincidents which was publishedearly last year and which providesa background for the currentRisk Focus article on Moorings

Appendix A

Understanding mooring incidentsMajor accidents involving mooring equipment in the last 20 years have injuredmany seafarers and have cost the UK Club over US$34 million

LP NewsFEBRUARY 2009

UK P&I CLUB

Many of these accidents have occurred during thehandling of ropes/wires, where ropes/wires have parted(53%) or where ropes/wires have jumped/slipped offdrum ends/bitts (42%) with 5% caused by actualequipment failure (see pie chart below centre).

Parted ropes/wires normally occur during generalmooring, tug and ship to ship operations with equipmentfailure, misuse, wash damage and weather also playing

a role. Injuries from non parted ropes/wires normallyoccur due to crew being caught up in ropes/wires andropes wires slipping off and becoming jammed on drumends during normal mooring operations (see pie charts).

Whilst mooring injuries are the seventh most frequentcause of personal injuries in the Club they are the thirdmost expensive per claim indicating how horrific someof these injuries can become.

Types of incidents resulting in personal injury

Equipment failure5%

Hit by non parted ropes/wires42%

Hit by parted ropes/wires53%

PartedNon parted

Mooringgeneral

60%

Slipped off/jammed onequipment

20%

Caught up inropes/wires

20%

Ship to ship3%

Tug operation related13%

Weatherrelated10%

Equipmentmisuse/failure

6%

Wash10%

Mooringgeneral

58%

The worrying statistic is the apparent increase innumber and value of these claims over the past 9 years(see graph below).

Injuries from mooring incidents

Risk assessment of mooringstationsA risk assessment should be made of all mooring areason board; looking at the space with a view of purposelysearching for hazards that may cause injury. Mooringareas naturally contain many trip hazards, andhighlighting these is a good starting point.

Hazard highlighting

Physical hazards to be highlighted should not belimited to bulkhead frames, mooring bits, pedestalfairleads and cleats. It should also include structuressuch as platforms at the windlass and hawse pipecovers.

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

%

19871990

19931995

19971999

20012003

2005

Number % Value %

Leg 23%

Death 14%

Back 14%Multiple injury 11%

Head 7%

Arm 7%

Knee 3%

Shoulder 3%

Hand 3%

Chest 3%

Face 3%Pelvis 2%

Eye, Foot , Thigh,Ankle, Wrist 1%

Poor and potentially unsafe mooring areaexample

Unfortunately this photo illustrates a sight sometimesexperienced by the UK Club ship inspectors. Not onlyare the windlasses rusty and poorly maintained, but themooring area as a whole suggests poor safety andmaintenance standards on board:

● The mooring area is dirty and all surfaces are in needof maintenance.

● All surfaces are painted the same colour, hiding triphazards such as save-alls, windlass platforms,forecastle access hatch and bitts.

● There are no hazard highlightings or warningmarkings.

Highlighting hazards is particularly important for thesafety of crew that are new to the vessel, cadets andother trainees, and visitors. It is also important for thebenefit of experienced crew who easily becomecomplacent, tired, or too busy in their work to notnotice a hazardous situation developing.

The following images illustrate how effective hazardhighlighting can be, when compared with a mooringstation that is simply well painted.

Well painted but poorly highlighted mooring station

Mooring station with effective hazard markings

MaintenanceAn A/B was seriously hurt when a roller fairleaddetached from its pedestal whilst under the influenceof a mooring line under tension. The A/B was standingin the snap-back zone and was struck by the rope,which hurled him into the foremast causing headinjuries.

The rope hurled the roller fairlead 20 feet from the shipto the quayside.

The angle or directional lead of a rope should beconsidered when using leads in order to preventincidents like this. But this particular incident alsohighlights the importance of proper maintenance ofmooring equipment.

Do not forget to include in the maintenance schedulethe checking of all grease nipples on mooringequipment (deck machinery) to ensure the nipplesremain usable. It is a good idea to highlight greasenipples in order to prevent them from being overlooked.

Not only should moving parts be greased, and surfacessuitably coated, but metal that is wasted should be

replaced and not simply paintedover.

The image (left) shows a pedestalfairlead that is well maintained.There is evidence that it hasrecently been turned and greasedand the grease nipple on top ishighlighted.

In what condition is mooring equipmenton board your ships?

Mooring equipmentthat has sufferedsevere wastage willnot perform to thecertified standard.This also applies tothe steel to whichthe equipment iswelded. The imageshows mooring bittsthat are badly wasted. The deck is in equally badcondition and there is a danger of the bitts being tornfrom the deck.

Snap-back zonesThe majority of serious incidents in mooring areasinvolve parting lines!

Qualified seafarers are aware of the fact that a snap-back zone exists when a mooring line is under tension.It is, however, a rare thing to see crew taking this intoaccount when they are working mooring lines on deck.

If snap-back zones are painted on the deck then crewwill be alerted to the danger when they notice they arestanding in a highlighted zone.

Painting these areas also helps supervising officersinstruct crew to keep clear when lines are comingunder tension.

Highlighting mooring line snap-back zones ensures thatcrew can visibly see the danger areas without havingto purposely think about them while working.

When a line under tension parts, it will whip back tothe remaining point of tension.

Spring

Breastline

HeadlineHeadline

Diagrams on this page from MCA Code of Safe Working Practice for Merchant Seamen

If the line can travel back in astraight line then it will do,striking anything or anybodyin its path.

If the taut line is lead arounda lead then it has thepotential to whip round in abigger arc, as illustrated inthe second diagram.

Point offailure

Point offailure

Point ofrestraint

Point ofrestraint

Pedestalroller

‘old man’

Snap-backzone

Snap-backzone

Awareness of bightsTrained deck hands understand the dangers of standingwithin a bight or coil of rope and it is thereforesurprising that a significant number of personal injuryincidents during mooring operations involve seamendoing just that.

The diagram forms part of an investigation report intothe death of an A/B who was dragged through a set ofbitts by a mooring line.

Bights don’t always look likebights. Here a seaman hasinadvertently stepped overthe line and put himself at risk

This incident also highlights procedural and awarenessissues because the mooring party forward informed thebridge that all lines were clear when they were in factstill in the water. Nobody noticed that as the vesselwas manoeuvring away from the berth, one of the linesbecame snagged on one of the wharf buttresses.

The unfortunate seaman was recovering the line butstepped in a bight of themooring line as it becametaut and was then draggedthrough the bitts as the fouledline ran from the vessel.

Who is at the mooring station?Mooring operations are dangerous tocrew on board because of the great loadsthat the mooring lines will carry, and thedanger of them breaking while taking upthis tension.

Only personnel involved in mooring operations should

be present at mooring stations during mooringoperations.

It should be policy on board that inexperiencedpersonnel such as cadets in the early stages of theirtraining, who are to be involved in mooring operations,should be under the supervision and direction of anexperienced seafarer. Effectively, someone should beappointed to ensure the safety of the inexperiencedperson, and both should be aware of who isundertaking that duty.

Everybody on board should be aware that onlypersonnel directly involved in mooring operations mayvisit mooring stations during mooring operations. This isbest done with safety notices and implementation intoon board policies.

The number of crew found on board is often theminimum required to safely operate the vessel.Although some ships may find themselves stretched formanpower, mooring operations should never beundertaken with less crew than is considerednecessary to do the job safely.

There should always be a minimum of two people toeach mooring station throughout the operation. Evenwhere automatic mooring systems are installed, asecond person should always be present in casesomething goes wrong.

Crew should not be allowed to operate a windlass orcapstan and handle the rope at the same time. This is atwo person job. Fixing a lanyard to an operating leverand pulling on it from the rope-handling position shouldstrictly be forbidden. If only two crewmembers are ondeck for mooring operations then they should worktogether on the lines at one end of the vessel and thenthe other.

Incident!A vessel moored alongside during cargo operationswas fully laden with her deck level below the docklevel. It was noticed from the quayside that the forwardspring was caught under a padeye located on the shipsside. The spring, a wire rope, was taut and there wasconcern that in this position it might break.

An attempt was made to free the line by slacking andhauling it on the windlass but due to the curvature ofthe forward hull section, and the extremely long lead ofthe spring line, it would not free. The line was heavedtaut in the hope that it might jerk free. When the linedid free itself the tension it was under caused it tooscillate up and down, passing 5 feet inboard of theships rail and striking a young engineering apprenticein the head.

Diagrams on this page courtesy of Maritime New Zealand

Deceased afterbeing pulled throughmooring bitts

Mooring bitts

Spring line

Deceased beforeaccident

Mooring winches

STARBOARDPORT

The engineering apprentice was not involved in theoperation and nobody involved was aware of hispresence until after the accident. He was also notwearing a hard hat.

In this incident the spring line had an extremely longlead. A bollard was available closer to the bow of theship but this was not used. It was found that if thenearer bollard had been used then the line wouldprobably still have become caught under the padeye,but it is unlikely that it would have jumped inboard ofthe ships rail upon freeing from the padeye.

This incident highlights the need for control overpeople present at mooring stations, the wearing of PPEand efficient mooring arrangements.

Mooring arrangementsBad mooring arrangements can also be responsible forclaims for damage to cargo handling equipment, docksand other structures. In these incidents it is often thecase that the vessel surged extremely or broke her linesbecause of strong currents or the influence of passingvessels.

The image below shows a vessel considerablyoverhanging her berth. She is therefore unable to leadany stern lines aft of the ship. The image shows oneline in particular being lead an extremely long distance,rendering it pretty much useless.

The ship has correctly put out as many lines as possiblebut should also consider the use of the anchor andmooring lines running aft from either the main deck orother suitable areas. In situations like this it is importantto analyse local tidal and weather patterns in order topredict how the vessel will be affected. The vesselowners should be informed and cargo operationsstopped (or not commenced) if conditions do notappear safe.

The following image shows insufficient mooringarrangements ashore and the vessel is forced to payout an extremely long lead on the stern lines. In thisevent, the master should protest to the port authority,take photos and inform the owners.

Personal Protective Equipment(PPE)When struck on the headby a parting mooring line,the wearing of a hard hatwill be the life or deathdeciding factor. A hard hatshould be worn at all timeswhen involved in mooringoperations, as well as appropriate safety footwear andboiler suit (or other protective full-length clothing).

It has been the general opinion on some vessels thatthe wearing of gloves when handling mooring ropes isan unsafe practice. This is due to concern that loosegloves may become trapped under a line on a windlassdrum and haul the crewmember over it. Gloves shouldbe worn but crew need to be aware of the dangersassociated with ill-fitting gloves when handling ropes.

The photo below shows a chart that highlights thecompulsory PPE to be worn for various operations onboard. This can be devised on board and is a veryuseful aid to crew when posted in changing rooms ormess areas.

Mooring practicesProfessional seafarers must be monitored duringmooring operations to ensure they do not becomecomplacent in their work; putting themselves andothers in a dangerous situation.

Deck officers monitoring mooring operations must beactively watching for hazards and give instructions toensure hazards are controlled.

Mooring operations should be conducted in a safemanner. In the image below:

● The line on the windlass drum is being handledsafely. The crewmember at the drum is keeping hishands clear of the turns and positioned so as not tobecome fouled in coils of rope.

● The crewmember operating the windlass has a goodline of sight of the rope and the man handling it.

● Both crew are appropriately attired in correctpersonal protective equipment.

Correct use of stoppers

UK Club ship inspectors often notice when boardingClub vessels, that stoppers have been left on linesafter they have been secured. This bad practice puts

unnecessary strain on thestopper as the linecontinues to tighten onthe bitts. It may also resultin the stopper ropetightening to the pointwhere it can’t bereleased.

The second image (right) showsa chain stopper setup for usewith polypropylene ropes. Onlyrope stoppers should be usedwith rope mooring lines; chainstoppers are for use with wires.

Consult an on board seamanship manual for properseamanship practices.

Wire to rope

A rope mooring line shouldnever join a metal linewithout the use of a thimble.

The condition of the rope andwire in this example is poorand the lack of a thimble

increases the likelihood of the rope breaking.

An eye in the end of a wire

If it is necessary to create an eye in the end of a wire,then it would be worth investing in crimping equipment.Many ships prefer the use of bulldog-grips for creatingan eye in the end of a wire rope, but there is a correctway of doing this:

● An allowance of 150 mm should be made betweenthe last bulldog grip and the end of the ‘dead’ wire.It is important to ensure that the lashing wires arenot cut short immediately next to the bulldog grips.

● Bulldog grips have a grooved surface in the bridgepiece which is suitable for a standard wire of right-hand lay having six strands. Crosby grips have asmooth surface in the bridge piece. The grips shouldnot be used with ropes of left-hand lay or of differentconstruction.

● The first grip should be applied close to the thimbleor at the neck of the eye if a thimble is not used.

✘

✔

Other grips should be placed at intervals of at leastone clear grip (albeit a distance of six rope diametersapart is suggested) between each other.

● The grips must all face in the same direction andmust be fitted with the saddle or bridge applied tothe working or hauling part of the rope. The U-boltmust be applied to the tail or dead-end of the rope. Ifthe grips are not applied as indicated above, theeffectiveness of the eye can be seriously affected.

Secure to bitts

Windlass drums are not designed for taking the weightof mooring lines for a long period of time. If windlassdrums are used for this purpose then over a period oftime they will suffer damage and be in need of repair.

This windlass drum suffered bearing damage and is beingoverhauled

Once ropes have been hauled tight they should besecured to bitts as in the good example on the left

Care and maintenance of ropesIn order to preserve the usage life of ropes, ensure theyare protected from the elements and not subjected tounnecessary chaffing.

Do not store ropes on wet decks. Ensure they are

UK P&I CLUBIS MANAGEDBY THOMASMILLER

For further information please contact:Loss Prevention Department, Thomas Miller P&I LtdTel: +44 20 7204 2307. Fax +44 20 7283 6517Email: lossprevention.ukclub@thomasmiller.com

Over time, ropes and wires will suffer wear anddamage and the general condition will be evident in therope as a whole. But a part of the rope may becomeparticularly damaged at any time and it is important tocheck the rope at every opportunity.

A visual inspection should be performed every timebefore, during and after a rope has been used.

Flaking a rope on the deck ready for running is a goodopportunity to look for damage which a part of the ropemay have suffered, causing a weak point in the rope.

A general visual inspection can also be performed bythe person handling the line on a windlass drum as it isreceived, hand over hand.

Ropes badly stored on wet deck

stowed off the deck and if possible away fromprecipitation and direct sunlight. If baskets or otherstorage devices are not available then ropes should becoiled down on pallets (see below).

Ropes correctly stowed off deck